What do the names mean? How can you find out about your ancestors? What about Anne and Martin's genealogy? You won't find all the answers on this page, but possibly some pointers to where you might find them.
It seems obvious, doesn't it? It must be a fair headed child ("bairn" = child). Possibly, but there are some interesting other theories around. I've heard it said that the name is derived from the French since the "family" came across with the Norman conquest. The theory that seems to make most sense to me is concerns one Siward Beorn the White (a great grandson of a Danish King and a great grandnephew of King Canute of England). He was called "the White" because of his fair hair. "Beorn" became "bairn". And you have "Fairbairn". You can find more about this theory from a posting about The Name Fairbairn, originally on the Tartans Bulletin Board Clan Armstrong page.
A related, but slight more odd theory is given at The Origins of the Armstrongs. Here's what it says:
"The surname of Siward was Beorn (meaning bear) and relates to the Nordic legends of the Fairy Bear or Fay Bairn, from which the Border name of Fairbairn, originated. The name was applied to the stories of Siward and his father and were called the Fairy Bear Stories."
Most of the material on the web that mentions Fairbairns does so only tangentially. This is because it was a Fairbairn who was allegedly given the name Armstrong on account of saving a Scottish king (see again The Name Fairbairn). Consequently, Fairbairns are associated with Armstrongs. However, it is Fairbairns who are a sept of Armstrong, and not vice versa - which seems a bit topsy-turvy since the Fairbairns gave rise to Armstrongs! The following Armstrong websites contain some material about Fairbairns: Armstrong; Armstrong Clan Society, and the Clan Armstrong section of http://www.tartans.com.
The name seems to be most common in the south of Scotland and north of England. It is therefore almost certainly inappropriate to think of the "family" as part of the Scottish Highland clan system - but don't let that stop you wearing a kilt! A somewhat unusual link is the page about the Fairbairn Church. This is now part of a historical park in Canada and was originally a Methodist church.
It seems to be generally accepted that many Marshalls derive their name from someone in their past having been a horse servant or 'marshall'. In Scotland, their can be a different interpretation. The Keith Clanwebsite describes the background to the Keith Great Marischals of Scotland (see page http://keithclan.com/marishal.htm in particular). 'Marischal' being apparently derived from the French 'Marechal' meaning 'general'. Take your pick - you're either a shifter of horse manure or a military genius!
In Scotland there is a huge concentration of Fairbairns on the east coast of the Borders. Particularly around Cockburnspath and Eyemouth. For example, the list of 189 men who lost their life in the Eyemouth fishing disaster of 1881 includes a large number of Fairbairns. Some of the sites referred to in the section above on the Fairbairn name include genealogy discussion forums. The best forum is probably the Fairbairn family genealogy forum. For a more personal source, Tara's Family Orchard includes the only family tree information I've been able to find about Fairbairns on the web so far. Her Fairbairns of Cockburnspath site includes details of all those who lost their lives in the 1881 disaster.
The Marshall name is much more widely spread throughout the whole of Scotland and England. There are therefore a great deal more resources for researching your Marshall genealogy. But, many of them might not be at all relevant to you. There is a Marshall family genealogy forum which seems to be very active. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~judyarnold/gene.html#marshall also contains some very good links.
The General Register Office for Scotland is a "must" for anyone interested in Scottish family history as is the comprehensive GENUKI.
"And what about your genealogy?" I hear you ask. Well, we've tracked down over 800 names so far, and the earliest birth is in 1601 (although it's all a bit hazy that far back). If you're related to us, you can download a GEDCOM file to import into your own genealogy software. Go to Anne and Martin's Genealogy for all the "gen"!
Last Revised: 19 April 2003